McManamon Family Tree

Cleveland Necrology File Id#: 0251133 Name: Murphy, Emma Date: Nov 25 1943 Source: Source unknown; Cleveland Necrology File, Reel #059. Notes: Murphy: Emma, beloved wife of the late Urvan, mother of Will McKisson of Cuyahoga Falls, O.; Mrs. Grace Plum, Linwood, Cal.; Ralph Bartlett of New York; Paul E. Murphy, Macedonia, O., and the late Edward Murphy; Nov. 23. Friends may call at Donald B. Johnson Funeral Home, 521 Broadway, Bedford, O., where services will be held Friday, Nov. 26, at 2 p. m.

Info from Kathleen Johnson:

Emma Miller McKisson Murphy Born: November 18, 1865 Ohio Married: 1st: Robert McKisson. 2nd:Urvan Murphy Died: Nov. 23, 1943 Emma died of diabetes in a Masonic Retirement center called: Madison Home located in Northfield, Ohio. She was first married to Robert McKisson, one time mayor of Cleveland, Ohio. Desertion and disppearance of Robert McKisson while children were young, forced Emma to arrange adoption for Grace McKisson (Plum -adopted name) and Ralph McKisson (Bartlett-adopted name). Her oldest child Will McKisson was placed in care of Paternal Grandmother McKisson. All lived in Cleveland, Ohio. Emma Miller McKisson (Later Murphy) was a part-time school teacher and lived for a time in Kansas while married to McKisson. Emma and Urvan met in Ohio and married soon after her divorce from McKisson.

My grandfather (Paul E. Murphy-descendant through Urvan) moved his family from Ohio to California in 1944 about a year or so after the death of my Great grandmother Emma Murphy. The information you provided on line includes the death file on Emma Murphy (Married to Urvan.). My mother, who is still alive, remembers attending the funeral for her grandmother Emma.

Emma has a interesting, but sad past. Do you know of her? I was told she was first married to a McKisson without blessing from her family and moved away. The marriage was doomed from the start and continued to be a ruff one - 3 children later. McKisson had some political problems and growing gambling debts and ended up running away with another woman leaving Emma alone with the 3 kids.

Her oldest child, Will McKisson, I guess was able to get along by himself and her other two younger children were given up for adoption to some friends.

Emma moved back to Ohio and sometime later married Urvan Murphy and together they had two more children: Edward Murphy and Paul Urvan Murphy. (Paul Murphy is where our line continues) Are you getting confused yet ? Originally Emma was from Lorraine County, Ohio. She lived for a time in Kansas while married to McKisson and then they moved to Cleveland, Ohio where he became mayor and where the "scandal" ensued. I still need to check with old Cleveland newspapers and city documents to verify the wild story that McKisson faked his own "kidnapping/ransom" and with that money that he and another woman ran away together.

I forgot to mention that I do have a little information on Edward Lawrence Murphy, the other son of Emma Miller McKisson Murphy. He was my grandfather's, Paul Urvan Murphy, older brother (10 years older).

I will have to check with my Aunts for personal information about him and get back to you, though. I think he never married, was an electrician and had some type of electrical work accident.

I also wanted to mention that even though Emma gave her other children up for adoption from previous McKisson marriage, Emma and all her children must have remained fairly close because we have family pictures of Will McKisson, Grace McKisson (Plum) and Ralph McKisson (Bartlett) and Edward, and Paul Murphy all together when they are much older 40's,50's,60's.

Also, my aunts have family memories about visiting their "half" uncles. Will McKisson married a woman named Maud and they did not have any children.

Grace McKisson Plum-unsure if she ever married. She had one child name Paul (Paulie) and he was mentally retarded and died young.

Ralph Bartlett ends up being wealthy, married with children, and lived in Cleveland, Ohio.

My mother and Aunts remember Emma Murphy and the MURPHY family home. ( I believe we might have some old photos of the home) It was located on a bend in the river. Single story home like a cabin. It had a big tree with a wooden swing in the front yard. You had to cross a wooden bridge over the canal to get to the home. Emma had a huge feather bed.

Later she moved to a home in Northfield, Ohio because the Murphy home was too isolated. Then later she moved into a nursing home where she died.